Going Down
by Ctenophore.D
Summary: How does a demigod die? Most commonly, and almost certainly, they go down in battle. A couple of unrelated fics about how some demigods go down, and how the remainders mourn. Solangelo, Jiper, Caleo, Frazel, Tratie, Percabeth, all the canon pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So here I am, my finals looming on me, yet I chose to raise to a classmate's dare. To write the same type of death in different ways. Oh well then. Enjoy anyways then.**

 **This is my first PJO fanfic, and also my first actually first-hand unfinished fanfic, because I want to hear your ideas for the other deaths and couple-y things to do! [Seriously. I have absolutely nothing against cute little couples. I just... feel Shakespearian.]**

 **I ship all canon couples in PJO, but I'm open to suggestions prompts. Couples like Jeyna and et cetera, I do not ship, but do not particularly hate. Exceptions are two: Octachel and Thalico. No offense. Just not my cup of tea, no?**

 **Demigods here are not fighting any particular war or battle. Monsters just keep fighting demigods. Rick Riordan just keeps owning every character and place here. I just keep staying pessimistic. Same idea, same logic.**

 **And so it starts...**

* * *

"Go, Nico!" Will screamed desperately as he pulled his bow taut and let go, letting four arrows fly at the same time, hitting three targets, the fourth arrow whizzing away out of sight. "Go! You have to help Percy! The defenses are failing! We can't hold here!"

Nico hesitated, then nodded firmly and gripped his Stygian iron sword. He glanced back at Will, trying to get one last word out before leaping into battle.

His blond hair was now grimy and tangled, his face was smeared with streaks of dust, and his arms had some bound cuts, but he was still Nico's angel, his secret angel. Will glanced in Nico's direction, fired another five arrows, and shouted somewhat harshly at Nico: "Well? Go ahead! We're fighting a war here!"

Nico bit his lip, hurt but determined. _He was fighting a war. His friends needed him. A silly crush shouldn't be a main concern now, or ever._ He raised his sword and plowed into battle, letting out a defiant cry, heading for the top of Half-Blood Hill where plenty of demigods were trying to hold defense.

He dueled a _dracaenae_ who challenged him _,_ sending her sword flying before jabbing her in a snake trunk, vaporizing her on the spot. Then he slashed an Earthborn into heaps of mud. A random sword slashed a deep cut his right biceps, and he used his left hand to tear a strip of his tattered shirt to hastily tie around it. He was just done before a gryphon swooped at him from the sky and he raised his now bloody arm to defend himself. He forgot how many monsters he had mowed down, nor how many cuts he received himself; only that he had to get to the top of the hill, and that Will was counting on him.

A sword flat caught him on the ribcage. Nico flinched and cried out in the pain, slackening his grip on his sword to hug his chest and wheeze. The _empousa_ that smacked him took this as an advantage. He raised his sword weakly in anticipation, but the blow to the ribcage and the cut on his arm was too much. He started running, picking up pace as he parried with the demon, managing a few grazing jabs at the she-demon but unable to make the kill. His sight was blurry from the pain. He saw Thalia's pine just a few yards away. He ran as fast as his feet would allow, and the _empousa_ hobbled behind, surprisingly fast, taunting as she tried to strike: "Chickened out, have you, _demigod_?" She sneered the last word. "Too _scared_?" Nico gave no reply as he kept running, his breath ragged wheezes as he battled both the demon and his own pain.

He could see Thalia's pine up ahead, Peleus the dragon swiping enemies down wave by wave, only to have more rush up against him. The golden fleece shimmered down from a branch, giving Nico hope. "I'm getting there." He muttered to himself, sweat beading his forehead. "I'm getting there."

The _empousa_ whistled, and a hellhound bounded out of nowhere from the shadows, Nico raised his Stygian sword as commandingly as he could, and it retreated a few steps, whimpering. Nico launched in, strength suddenly surging in his legs, and plunged his sword into the hellhound's flesh, and it disintegrated with a howl. Nico retrieved his sword shakily, the sudden burst of strength gone, and leaned against Thalia's pine, searching for Percy and the others. Immediately he spotted Annabeth's blonde hair swaying wildly as she slashed and hacked, and only had the time to shout out "Annabeth!" when he was knocked to the ground.

The _empousa_ took the advantage and was ready to pounce. Nico raised his sword shakily, trying to defend himself, but he was too late.

 _Crunch._

The _empousa_ sunk her fangs into Nico's collarbone, and immediately he was racked with excruciating pain. He struggled feebly against the _empousa_ 's iron grip, dark spots dancing in his eyes. He could feel his blood flowing out of him rapidly, and his ears buzzed with the dreaded sound: a harbinger of death. In this case, it was himself that was dying. He was listening to himself die.

Suddenly the pain lessened slightly, and a grim Annabeth stood, her dagger still frozen in the position where the solid _empousa'_ s stomach would be. As the demon's remains got scattered by the wind, Annabeth quickly ripped a rag from the hem of her jeans and pressed it to Nico's wound. "Healer? Will? Will Solace! It's Nico!" She screamed frantically, spinning around, her voice ringing out throughout camp.

The figure Nico always longed to see had raced up the hill, kicking up dust, absentmindedly parrying away strikes with his bow as he knelt by Nico's side and gripped his hand. "Oh gods, Nico," He murmured into Nico's pale skin, his eyes wide with shock. He started to mutter a prayer to Apollo.

Nico wanted to object. He knew he was dying, and he knew how much the hymn would tax Will out. He was needed in battle. Nico opened his mouth, finding that he didn't have the strength to muster any words, and struggled to keep his eyes open as he looked into Will's sapphire eyes, his gaze unfocused. He was dying; he could cope with that. The only thing he couldn't…

With his last effort, Nico rasped out his final words.

"Will, kiss me."

The blond boy obliged without a word, meeting his lips fiercely, holding Nico in a too-tight embrace. The two pairs of soft lips were filled with passion, love and grief as they locked together, as the bridge between Nico and Will hung on its last thread, then broke with a small _snap_.

And these soft lips were the last things Nico felt before his world plunged into darkness.

* * *

 **So of course we have to start with my OTP, Solangelo!**

 **Did you enjoy? R &R, anyways. PLEASE PROMPT or I won't be able to update! And we'll probably be on a few weeks' hiatus since I really should study :-( Finals suck, but I'll live to make at least another update IF YOU PROMPT! -Ctenophore.D**

 **P.S. I'ma save Percabeth for the last cause they're the biggest PJO couple here! LOL!**


	2. Chapter 2

Gryphons.

They circled around the demigods, cawing as they attempted to swoop down and attack. It was all Jason could do to fend them off.

Next to him, Piper was jabbing Zethes's blade into bird after bird, disintegrating some into dust, wounding some. Jason couldn't help admire what all the sword practices these days had done to her: her skin was more tanned, her body tauter, her strikes more powerful. She had become quite the warrior indeed.

Jason noticed one particular gryphon. The ugly bird larger than its fellow companions was swooping around, eyeing Piper's shiny dagger by her side. It had tried many times to try and attack, but fortunately, either Piper or Jason would anticipate the move in time.

A loud CAW sounded from behind Jason, and he swung his sword frantically, slicing into the gryphon a moment before it plunged into him. He was exhaling slightly from his small victory, panting as he took a few steps to steady himself, when an unmistakable scream that belonged to Piper sounded behind him: "JASON!"

Jason whirled around, but Piper wasn't there. Instead, she was flailing in the air a few feet above him, flying higher rapidly as she was suspended midair by only her dagger.

Jason cursed. The gryphon who had been eyeing Piper's dagger had seen his chance, and took it. It had gotten a hold on Piper's dagger sheath and had one claw on it. The other was gripped firmly on Katoptris's handle. Piper was struggling to get a hold on the bird's scaly feet, and finally succeeded on grabbing its leg, hanging on desperately. "Jason!" She yelled again, her voice barely audible through the swift wind. Jason kicked off the ground and willed the air to build pressure. "I'm coming for you, Pipes." He muttered under his breath.

He had flown a good three stories high when something took him in surprise. A gryphon, not believing its luck, grabbed the demigod's left arm in midair and tugged him upward, heading the opposite direction Piper was. He struggled and strained, trying to get free, but the gryphon had an iron grip. His claws dug into Jason's skin, piercing the muscles, drawing specks of blood.

 _RIP._ Through the blowing currents of wind, Jason could still hear the rip, and he didn't need to see it to know where it came from. He shot a quick look in Piper's direction, and knew that his guess was right.

Half a mile or so away, Piper flailed desperately, the awkward hold between Piper and her dagger broken. Her gryphon, now gleefully clutching Katoptris in one claw, was trying its best to shake Piper off the other. Piper had wrapped both arms around the scaly foot, fighting to stay aloft as she tried to meet Jason's gaze. "Jason!" Piper screamed, her voice raw.

Jason felt tears of pain come to his eyes. Not only the pain from being clutched by a gryphon's grip of iron, but also the pain of knowing that he was too far away to help. He needed to help Piper.

"Let go of me!" Jason shouted aloud, thrashing against the gryphon's claws. He hacked with his sword in a desperate attempt, and to his satisfaction, the gryphon let out a squawk of pain and loosened its firm hold. Another struggle and another stab, and Jason was free.

Jason felt a small surge of triumph as he ordered the winds to jet him towards Piper. When the wind only obliged weakly did he realize how taxed out he was. His left arm was almost purple from the gryphon's grasp, and every muscle in his body felt stretched to the limit. He struggled to keep flying, slowly but surely making his way toward Piper.

His forehead was beaded with sweat. He could see the distance between him and Piper getting shorter and shorter. Five hundred meters… four hundred…

"Hang on, Pipes!" He managed to croak out. "I'm coming!" Three hundred meters… two hundred… one hundred…

"Jason!" Piper screamed. Tears were flowing out from her kaleidoscope eyes, and her choppy little braids were flapping limply behind her. "Jason, hurry!"

Jason reached out his hand, too breathless to talk. Piper unclenched a hand, her arm trembling at she reached out to Jason.

"Pipes, I'm here—"

Piper's other hand gave in. Jason could feel their fingers brush as she flew past him, her raw voice screaming out "JASON!" as she slowly gained velocity. He wasted no time in plunging after her, diving down headfirst, trying to match her speed, but the few seconds had made a difference. All he could do was reach out a hand to her, a few meters below, and scream her name again and again.

He tried to control the winds. If he could fly, he could lift Piper up, right? No such luck. He was too weak to even control his own free fall, nonetheless Piper's. He struggled to keep his eyes open from the wind blasting in his face, and met Piper's gaze. Through tears, Jason could see what message her pink lips were mouthing. He nodded, his eyes clouding. He wanted to reply, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat. He watched, stretching his hand out helplessly as Piper finally landed in Gaea's embrace.

Jason summoned the last burst of wind, almost blacking out at the effort. He stumbled, staggering over to the ground where Piper's small figure lay. Her eyes were closed, eyelashes spread over her tear-stained cheeks. Blood was seeping all over her orange shirt, staining it crimson. He collapsed next to her, grasped Piper's wrist to feel her rapidly fading pulse, and leaned down to gather her body into his arms. He choked back a sob as he buried his face into her still sweet-smelling chocolate colored hair, and rasped out next to her ear: "I love you too, Pipes. I'm sorry."

It must have been his imagination, but Jason thought he saw her smile.

* * *

 **Didn't quite expect me to update today, didja? Well neither did I!**

 **Finals are next week but I decided I could only look over history in peace with this written out, and once I did, I thought, so why not publish it? So I did :D**

 **This chapter was prompted by Deleaf in which Piper falls but Jason is too slow to catch her :-( Awesome idea, I must say!**

 **Thanks for waiting everyone! I admire your patience! And please, read and review? And prompt! Please?**

 **-Ctenophore.D**


	3. Chapter 3

Through his haziness and pain, Leo heard singing.

Singing that reminded him of friends. Of Jason, white scar on his lip showing as he struggled to remember what was taken away from him; of Piper, of her choked sobs as she searched aimlessly for her father; of Annabeth, her gray eyes stormy, brow knitted in worry as she tried again and again to find her lost boyfriend; of Percy, his green eyes animalistic as he struggled to find the Doors of Death; of Hazel, desperate to shrug off her past life; of Frank, hoping in vain that he could learn to use his family gift.

Leo couldn't quite understand the song. Bittersweet and strange, the clear melody rang in his ears as he struggled to find the source. Slender fingers clasped his own slim ones, and the pain in his stomach seemed to increase, burning its way through him, searing hot pain making his muscles scream.

He blinked, trying to focus on something. A red-clad girl knelt over him, hair simply braided, almond eyes unfocused, pink lips moving to the lyrics of the song he would never know. "Sun…shine?" Leo rasped.

The girl looked down, and for a brief moment, her almond eyes met his. Her golden-brown pupils seared into his, pleading, desperate, and her singing wavered. "Leo?" Her voice was broken, but there was an edge of hope to it.

Leo managed a nod, trying to sit up, only to find his body not obliging—too busy acknowledging the pain. "What's the matter, Sunshine?" He tried for a smirk, hoping it passed as convincing; but as soon as it melted away, he knew it hadn't.

A tear leaked out of the wide almond eyes as Calypso straightened herself and let out a cry of frustration. "What's the matter? Look at you, Leo! Look at you! You were stabbed, and now you're bleeding you guts out, and I _could_ have been able to do _something_ if I'm _damn freaking mortal_ right now! Leo, you're _dying_ , and _a Titaness_ can't save you!" Her left hand, which was pressing a piece of makeshift gauze to his wound, gave a sharp dig out of frustration, and Leo hissed in pain. " _Look_ what good _I'm_ doing you now, Leo Valdez!" Calypso fumed, her voice cracking, "I've a _curse_ and now _you're_ the payback for me leaving my prison!" She turned her face to the heavens, her shoulders shaking, from frustration or sadness, Leo couldn't tell. "Zeus! Have you no _shame_?"

"Hey, hey, Sunshine." Leo felt strangely calm about the fact that he was going to die. "Listen to me, yeah? When I… die, take Festus. Tell him to go to Camp Half-Blood. He'll know where to go."

"But—" Calypso protested, but Leo raised a scarred hand.

"Leave me here. I'll be nothing but a burden. Tell Jason—tell the crew I'm grateful. And… if you're mortal… I'll see you again in Elysium, all right?" Leo gave a weak smile.

"But—Leo!" Calypso protested, openly sobbing now. "No, no, Leo—I'm so sorry, this is all my fault—"

Leo shook his head, and he felt his curls swish one last time. "It's not your fault, Sunshine. I love you—Titaness or mortal or ghost. Tell you what—you wouldn't want me to spend my last moments in pure agony, will you?" He flinched again as Calypso's knuckles dug into his wound. Upon seeing her tear-stained shake of her head, he nodded. "Then sing me to sleep, will you? I won't wake anymore."

Calypso drew a shaky breath and nodded, her lips opening into a round circle. When her voice was heard, it was not an unfamiliar melody any more, but a heart-achingly familiar one, one that Leo had jokingly taught Calypso on their aimless random flights:

 _You are my sunshine  
My only sunshine  
You make me happy  
When skies are gray  
You never know dear  
How much I love you  
Please don't take  
My sunshine away  
…_

"Tell them…" Leo whispered through the overwhelming pain, "That my last moments were the best of my life."

With that, he faded into unconsciousness, a final impish smile etched on his elfish face.

* * *

 **Hey guys :) Thanks for actually waiting up for this story! I know it took damn long for me to make another update, but here it is, please enjoy!**

 **This is the first chapter in which I did not write battle. I didn't feel like writing the reason why Leo died, while I could focus on the Caleo I'd rather write. Plus, I really just don't have any idea how he'd die.**

 **This chapter is for Love the Brightest Star, who is an awesome author herself and has quite an amount of awesome stories. She's also one of the four people who truly understand how pessimistic I am. I also recommend her stories if you're a fan of the Divergent Trilogy :) Cheers, gal!**

 **I may or may not have made both of these characters OOC. I may or may not have made up Calypso's eye color. I may or may not have rushed this out in an hour.**

 **But anyways, enjoy! Constructive criticism welcome!**

 **-Ctenophore. D**

 **P.S. Can anyone see the two references in here?**


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